Be a part of the flourishing industry at Publishing Next 2015

Unlike earlier, with a handful of publishers and printers working in the field, the industry has now more players than ever. More and more independent and niche presses are coming up, doing tremendous quality work. The self-publishing market is crowded more than ever. Even academic publishing scenario was never better than it is now.

This means, of course, the industry is going through a transition phase. Nothing has been settled; everything is up for grabs. The market was never been more exciting as it is now. And, if you want to be a part of this excitement, you know where you should be on 11-12 September – at Panaji, Goa, at Publishing Next 2015.

If you are publisher, or aspiring to be one, if you are a service provider, such as translators, editors, designers, illustrators, etc, if you are a distributor or retailer, or eBook developer and providers of other allied IT services, or printer, or an average Joe interested in book publishing, this is the place to be.

To deliberate on a roadmap for the future of book of book publishing, Cinnamon Teal Publishing, the organiser of the event has brought together a solid panel of publishing houses, authors and literary consultants. Representatives from Rajkamal Prakashan, Harper Collins, Bloomsbury Publishing, Pothi.com, Rupa Publications and Sage India along with authors like Mamang Dai, Vaa. Manikandan, and Andrej Blatnik, among others will form the panel.

The discussions will touch upon topics across the spectrum of publishing; about trends and new models, future content, the changing library, the role of publishers in Indian languages and the nuts and bolts of self-publishing.

If you are interested in ‘a literary-minded walking tour’, you can stay back for one more day and explore the heritage precincts of Panaji on 13 September, from 7:30 – 9:00 am.

The conference will be held at the Krishnadas Shama State Central Library, Panaji.

What to expect at Publishing Next
Publishing Next 2015 will feature a series of panel discussions to reflect recent developments in publishing. There will also be a series of workshops will acquaint participants with some of the skills they may need to further their businesses.

Trends and new models in academic book publishing
The panel will look at the current models adopted by academic bookpublishing in India, to develop original content for various disciplines and present it in forms that are accessible to students.

The re-imagination of content
New technologies open up new possibilities for creating and reusing or repurposing content. Content can be re-thought with the help of other tools, software capabilities and platforms.

State of library infrastructure in India
With the setting up of National Mission on Libraries to revitalise the library system in India, library infrastructure is undergoing changes.Publishers play an important role in the growth of libraries too.

The role of publishers in Indian languages
As publishing businesses get more competitive, these publishers are often called upon to not only manage the editorial process but also don many hats – those of the marketer, salesman and inventory manager, among others. The panel will look at their publishing processes, author-publisherrelations, their infrastructure, and adaptation of professional standards in their work.

Growing the publishing business
From the way books are marketed, promoted, to how inventory is managed and other business decisions are made, technology plays an important role. When put to use efficiently several tools can help apublisher grow their businesses. This session will present some practices that have been successfully adopted.

The nuts and bolts of self-publishing
While slowly shaking off its stigma, self-publishing is gradually emerging as a viable alternative for authors. This panel will discuss the risks and rewards of self-publishing, as also its craft and business.

Using social media to market books
This workshop will discuss where the book market stands presently vis-à-vis where it was a few years back, the need for social media marketing while marketing books today and how it helps in marketing of books of various genres, among others.

Podcasting for Publishers
This workshop will share the how and why of using the audio medium (such as podcasts), with an illustrative outline of key decision points (technology, costs, tools, and type of content).

The process and benefits of digitising the backlist
This workshop will examine the pros and cons associated with digitising the backlist, the factors that must be considered while choosing whether or not the backlist must be digitised, the stages of digitisation, the investments involved and the various ways such digitisation can be monetised.

Understanding copyright, contracts and licensing
The workshop will explore the importance of understanding copyrights and contracts while acquiring or licensing rights.

The event will also feature a series of presentations. These include the following.

The case for an independent translation body
This session will discuss the need for an independent, efficient and sensitive translation subvention programme for transporting literature from the Indian languages within India and to the rest of the world. It will highlight the importance of translation in the increasingly conflict-ridden world, where, despite the best communication technologies, the fear of the ‘other’ is more palpable than ever before.

The A-Z of book printing
In ‘The A–Z of Book Printing’, Ramu Ramanathan, the editor of PrintWeek India, will present an overview of the value chain of printed book publishing, and will highlight recent trends in the printing industry. The presentation will put the spotlight on a few top book printers and showcase some samples.

The conference will end with the presentation of the Publishing Next Industry Awards.